Raimondo kicks off gov bid

PAWTUCKET – General Treasurer Gina Raimondo kicked off her bid for governor Monday with a tub-thumping event that directly confronted some of her campaign’s perceived weaknesses: Latinos, organized labor, her connections to Wall Street and her bona fides as a Democrat, and a progressive one at that.

Raimondo whipped up an already excited crowd of about 200 friends and supporters at Hope Artiste Village while outside, picketers from public employee unions angry over her signature achievement of pension reform made their presence felt outside, holding signs and forming a gantlet that people attending the campaign event had to walk through.